Abstract
Purpose :
Traditional perimetry is bulky, time-consuming, expensive, requires careful disinfection, and is impractical for use outside the standard outpatient office. The aim of this proof-of-concept prospective study is to demonstrate the feasibility of use of a portable Virtual Reality Visual Field (VRVF) device1 for hospital-based ophthalmology consultations. Secondary aims are to investigate the clinical utility of the device and to quantitatively compare results to in-office gold standard Humphrey Visual Field (HVF) testing.
Methods :
In this ongoing study, all ophthalmology consultations at a single site over the course of a 5-month study period will be included. Patients undergo VRVF testing (BOLT strategy, Stim III) only if the ophthalmology service has been consulted for: blurry vision, unexplained vision loss, rule out papilledema, baseline examination prior to medication initiation or surgical intervention, or suspected neurologic/neuro-ophthalmologic disease. Data collected include patients’ attitudes towards testing experience, management decisions made based on testing, diagnoses, and VRVF and HVF parameters.
Results :
Of the 45 consultations made over the initial one-month period, 4 patients were eligible for VRVF testing (mean age 57.5 +/- 18.0 years). Average patient usability rating was 5.75 (scale of 1-hardest to 10-easiest), with all participants indicating they would do the test again and none reporting adverse outcomes. 50% of exams were to establish visual field baseline prior to neurosurgical intervention and the remaining were for the workup of PION. In no case did results change management. Follow up HVF was available for 2 participants (4 eyes). Strong correlation between VRVF and HVF was noted for point-by-point comparison (r=0.93, p<0.0001), mean deviation (r=0.99, p=0.0025), but not pattern standard deviation (r=0.31, p>0.05).
Conclusions :
Prior VRVF studies have focused on its utility for outpatient glaucoma monitoring. This is the first known study to look at the use of VRVF for hospital-based ophthalmic consultations. Based on our preliminary data, VRVF can be used in the hospital setting in a quick, easy, safe, and reliable manner. However, <10% of total ophthalmic consultations qualified for study participation, suggesting that the technology might be most effectively applied in conjunction with neurology and neurosurgery services. 1. Virtualfield.io
This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.